Please Pretend You Didn't See
by FactCheck
Summary: Usopp couldn't let Law die, not when Luffy had worked so hard to get him there. He probably shouldn't have opened his mouth, but then again, when had reason ever stopped a Straw Hat?
1. Chapter 1

Usopp didn't even have time to hear Viola confirm whether he succeeded or not before he felt thin strings wrap around his waist.

There were people coming, a hoard that had once worshipped him for all of five seconds before deciding to sacrifice him, yet their hands never got ahold of him as he was whisked off the roof.

It was a gut-wrenching experience.

The distance between the building he had been on and the castle he was being pulled towards was too great and Usopp experienced a weightlessness filled with utter and complete dread as he fell off into the city landscape.

He was too tired, his last strength having been sapped away after shooting at Sugar, so the dark-skinned man hung limply as he watched the tops of other buildings close in on him. He gritted his teeth, angry and scared tears already falling from his eyes as he gripped weakly at the string. Before he was splattered against a sharp roof or unforgiving ground, Usopp was jerked to the side, moving towards the castle at breakneck speed. He tried to see where the string was coming from, looking up through his tears, and deciding that it was the top of the cage without really seeing anything.

As quickly as he had fallen, Usopp was being hoisted back up again. Still traveling in an arc across the town, but the buildings falling away from him this time.

Usopp landed, or more like crashed, on top of the castle with a sickening thud that made his brain rattle in his head and his body absolutely scream in agony.

He told himself he didn't scream because he was too strong for that, but he knew it was because he was too weak to make a noise after the breath had been knocked out of him.

On the roof was Doflamingo.

And some drippy guy who made the sniper's stomach churn, but more importantly there was Doflamingo.

He was an outrageously towering man with bright yellow hair and a pink feathered coat. He looked extravagantly gaudy, but he radiated enough power that Usopp stopped breathing for all of six seconds before his vision started to go black and he gasped air into his lungs.

Usopp was not in a physical state to even be presented with that kind of intimidation, much less feel the weight of the other's ire as the giant man sneered down at him without dropping his smile, a vein throbbing in his head.

"Caught you," Doflamingo ambled towards the crumpled sniper, his foot reaching out to flip Usopp on his back. "What a mess you've made."

The tall man bent down to grab the darker man's hair, dragging him behind him as he went back to his seat, tossing Usopp at the foot of it. The Straw Hat felt strings wrap around his wrists tightly, his skin splitting where there was too much tension, before he even landed back on the ground.

He groaned as soon as he was set down, though he quickly bit his lip, refusing to show weakness. He locked his jaw, determined to stay quiet.

Usopp had half a second to see another man by Doflamingo's feet before a crash sounded throughout the roof.

Luffy appeared before them, Law a step behind them.

Usopp nearly cried in relief.

It had worked.

They were safe.

He had done it.

He bit his lip again, this time from joy, the pain from earlier nowhere near the amount of overwhelming happiness that coursed through Usopp at seeing Luffy okay and well and knowing that his shot had stopped the little green menace.

"Usopp?!" Luffy's voice was loud as per usual and the black man had almost forgotten about his predicament in the face of his achievement at keeping his captain safe. "Bellamy, too?"

"Oh? You care about Bellamy, as well? If memory serves me right, you two fought in Mock Town, didn't you? I guess you made up. How touching."

Usopp could hear the panting breaths of the man laying face down next to him, the blood from his bashed face seeping out into a puddle below him.

"I don't care about what happened in the past - let my friends go!" Luffy sounded serious despite his loud voice and Usopp couldn't help but be overcome with relief that Luffy had come, even if it wasn't to save him specifically.

He didn't want to be stuck with Doflamingo.

"Hm," The giant man mused, his foot reaching out to jostle the beat-up man's body. Bellamy groaned at the contact.

"You'll have to fight for it. Bellamy came to me to die and your little crewmate here," Usopp saw a flash before the ruling king's foot slammed into his face. He could feel the warm blood pouring down his nose and into his mouth and he breathed in pained gasps as his world titled on its axis. "Ruined a lot of careful planning."

Usopp didn't hear the rest of it, his ears were ringing and he grasped at his face, feeling his broken nose that had been injured too much already that day.

By the time he centered himself again, there were two Doflamingo's and Usopp was about ready to just go to sleep out of the amount of unnecessariness that was.

He heard a familiar, "Screw the plan!" and knew something was about to be fucked up by Luffy.

The black man was pleasantly surprised when he got a front row seat to Doflamingo's stomach getting a good hook from his captain, the Pink Menace doubling over as a rainfall of goo fell around Usopp.

The sniper was afraid to look up and decided resolutely not to when the goopy material started talking to Law.

The Heart Captain looked like he had the upper hand for all of two seconds before Doflamingo was there, kicking Law's sword away from the pile of snot before impaling the man with a hoard of strings. His blood sprayed out of the wound, a spurt hitting Usopp's face and he froze, eyes wide in terror.

He heard Luffy call out Law's name before Doflamingo was in front of him too, his leg raising and sending Usopp's captain to the ground with his hands tied. He didn't even hit the floor before Bellamy's blade was cutting into his captain.

Usopp didn't try to hold back his voice then, Luffy's name on his tongue before he could even think about it, rising up to a sitting position and leaning towards his captain as if he could help him.

There was a single second between when Usopp saw a hand enter his vision and his head slammed against the rooftop, his vision and world going black.

"I, too, am a D."

Usopp blearily blinked his eyes open. His head was pounding, but when he tried to reach up and touch it, he found his arms tied.

He looked around, eyes catching onto Law, Doflamingo, and the slimy man, but Luffy and Bellamy were nowhere in sight.

He watched the fight with unclear eyes, but Law appeared to be winning.

Blood poured out of Doflamingo's mouth, his grin finally off his mug as he clenched his teeth, absolutely seething.

Suddenly a huge tower was drifting towards them, then Doflamingo was in the air and then so was Law.

Usopp was having a difficult time keeping up with them, his head still throbbing in time with his heart beats.

He watched as Doflamingo raised his leg, and the sniper expected him to kick Law back to solid ground, but when he brought his foot down, Law plummeted with his arm still firmly in Doflamingo's grasp.

It took a few seconds for Usopp to comprehend what had occured, the action that must have happened for the end result and the processing of the end result in general.

He felt vomit rise in his throat and he couldn't stop it from coming, turning over just in time to let the contents of his stomach splash onto the ground next to him. He coughed wetly, spitting out the leftover fluid and gasping for air, dust hanging thick around him and clogging his throat with acidic mud.

Law's arm slapped against the floor and Usopp felt his eyes roll back in his head as he tried to block out the noise.

Doflamingo landed next to Law's shaking form, the captain grasping his armless shoulder and shuddering in pain, teeth clenched so tight that Usopp swore he could hear them creaking.

"You look tired Law. I'm surprised you were stupid enough to try and take on not only me, but also Trebol, all by yourself. It's going to take Straw Hat a while to get up here. He seems to have a weak heart - all he has to do is kill his friend, yet he's putting it off. Some allies you've got, Law." The man walked towards the doctor, the Heart Pirate struggling to get up and failing. The Fake King crouched down in front of him, staring curiously at the bloodied man."You lived a dark life. Roci was able to lengthen your time here, but it's a little pointless if you just become his shadow, chasing after the things he never could stomach himself, don't you think?"

Usopp saw the gun raise, the barrel pushing against Law's head, and he felt a wash of panic going through him.

Luffy wouldn't want Law to die.

"Wait!" Usopp was shocked at the sound of his own voice, but he had only a moment to regret it before Doflamingo's attention was on him and not the fallen man. "He-he's already down!"

Doflamingo gave the black man a blank stare, thumb stroking his gun in slow circles before he uncocked it and lowered it to his side.

"And? I plan to kill him, Sniper. Or do you prefer I kill you first?"

The words filled Usopp's throat with bile and he blanched, his breath quickening until he thought he would pass out.

He thought of Luffy, just a floor below them, he would be there soon. All Usopp had to do was stall.

"K-killing us wouldn't be f-fun." Usopp swallowed, trying to get his bearings and calm his near-hysterical voice.

"I think it would be absolutely entertaining." Doflamingo twirled his gun on one finger. "Do you think I should torture him more?"

With that, he raised his gun and shot Law squarely in the shoulder, the doctor hissing in pain as his already damaged arm was further injured.

Usopp screamed, terrified out of his mind and not knowing what to do about the obviously psychotic man.

He felt his lips tremble before words started pouring forth, anything to get the other's attention away from torturing Law or Usopp.

"There has to be s-something more entertaining th-than killing people. I, the gre-great Usopp, personally find killing the least fun thing to do. You get nothing out of it but a dead body and-"

Despite his voice growing in strength, the sniper cut off when Doflamingo waltzed over to his prone form and raised the pistol to his head.

"Why should I listen to you, Sniper? You've already caused my plans to crumble and I can assure you that making me more angry will not bode well for you." The towering man smiled down at the man with a grin that was more feral than any sort of positive emotion a grin usually was supposed to signify.

Usopp's mouth trembled, completely stumped, no words coming to mind.

"I-"

"You think I don't know you're stalling?" Usopp bit his lip again, eyes wide as the barrel of the gun pressed more into his head.

"Th-the much adored Usopp would never waste anyone's time!"

"Is that so…" Doflamingo looked down at Usopp and the darker man was unable to gauge what kind of emotion was going on behind his pink glasses.

The tall man suddenly stood up, turning on his heel and heading over to Law. He picked the other man up by his arm, blood from the doctor's wound gushing out as he was manhandled back to the family head's seat and unceremoniously thrown to the ground near the blond's feet. Doflamingo took a seat, leaning a cheek against his hand and looked down at the black man, the strings around Usopp's wrists falling away.

"Okay, Sniper, entertain me."

Usopp didn't move.

He stared up at the man, unable to comprehend his words.

"Well?" The Donquixote leader looked absolutely thrilled at Usopp's hesitation. "What are more fun ways to entertain me?"

"A-a game?" The stutter this time was more from confusion than fear, though the sniper was still filled to the brim with the emotion. "Ah, yes, I am called the 'Talented and Beautiful and Hilarious Game Master' back home, because I could win any game put before me with grace and skill."

Doflamingo looked over the other man with clear amusement.

"Is that so, pretty? What game do you recommend?"

Usopp stared up at the other, his mouth opening but no words coming forth. He mouthed the word 'pretty' as if he could figure out its meaning if he could fit his lips around it correctly.

"You see, I don't believe you have a game in mind."

"That's not true!"

It very much was true.

"But I'll cut you a deal. I'll offer up a game and if you win it, I won't kill you." Doflamingo looked down at Law, nudging him with his foot. "I think this one is a little out of commission, so we'll figure out a deal for him later."

Usopp glanced back at the hole Luffy had disappeared into. It couldn't be too long before the other came back.

He only needed to stall a little longer.

"What game?" Usopp finally managed, struggling to sit up.

"Endurance: let's have sex." Doflamingo looked beyond amused when Usopp choked, his face paling rather than darkening. "We see how long you can go. We can stop whenever you want, but…"

The black man waited with bated breath as Doflamingo's grin widened until he could nearly see all his teeth.

"If you give up, I get to go back to my version of 'fun.'" Usopp's world tilted but he caught himself before falling over.

"Fuck you, bastard." Law piped up. Usopp was surprised at his interruption. The other man was bleeding a lot from a whole bunch of different places. The black man steadfastly tried not to look at the space where the captain's arm was supposed to be. "You're a sick freak. Why don't you eat shit and die?"

Usopp shrieked in both shock and furious pain when his thigh was torn through by a bullet. He clutched his hands over the wound, hyperventilating as he stared at the fresh blood mixing with his nearly dried blood from earlier.

"Law, another word out of you and I'll kill him," Doflamingo pointed his gun at Usopp's face but the black man didn't look up from his leg to see it. "And then I'll shoot you, too."

Law's mouth opened but he didn't say a word, eyes spitting his hatred at the larger man.

Doflamingo smiled in response, sitting back and turning towards Usopp again.

"Entertain me, Sniper."


	2. Chapter 2

A bullet wasn't the most appropriate incentive to make someone do something, but it worked.

Usopp took a few labored breaths before starting to undress.

His hat came first and then his goggles. He took off his jacket slowly and painfully, blood making it stick to his skin. His suspenders fell away, hanging limping from his high-waisted pants, before he hesitated.

Usopp looked to the hole in the roof where he could hear his captain.

He bit his lip, breathing harshly, and tore off his shoes.

Usopp slipped his baggy pants off last.

"Wonderful, you really are a pretty little thing."

Usopp flinched, knowing the words would have a metallic taste in his mouth for a long, long time if he survived this.

The darker man paused, unsure how to continue, before sinking down and sliding his knees carefully closer to Doflamingo. Hands rising to touch the bigger man's knees but stopping short, trembling in the air.

Doflamingo was quick to grab his wrist, bringing it up to his lips and pressing his smile against the sniper's racing pulse point.

"Any time you want." He reminded, teeth flashing in his sick humor.

Usopp felt nauseous, could feel bile rising to his throat but he steeled himself and pressed forward.

He reached his free hand towards the bigger man, freeing him from his pants with shaky fingers.

Doflamingo was as big as he feared.

He had to be about the size of Zoro's forearm when he was erect and Usopp felt green just thinking about it, hating that'd he find out soon enough if his theory was true. Limp, it was the size of Sanji's, but the thought made nothing feel better.

Thinking about his nakama was not helping him at all.

He was hyperventilating again, he knew that, but he pressed on, hoping he didn't vomit on Doflamingo's dick yet also hoping that he did just because he was disgusted by the man.

Usopp had a nagging feeling that the monstrous man would enjoy that though.

He pressed trembling lips to the tip, the spongy head slightly moist and oddly tasting like soap with the faintest hint of salty musk. Holding the limp organ in his hand felt wrong, it was too large and too inhuman and Usopp was too scared to think too deeply about what he was being forced to do.

The words, 'You can stop at any time,' ran through his head on repeat and the sniper just wanted to sob at the mockery, the vilest lie he had ever heard.

Usopp wrapped his lips around the head, breathing harshly through his nose and running his tongue around it, feeling it twitch and jerk, the thing filling with blood, making it expand in his mouth. He gripped the shaft with his hands, hating that they weren't able to cover the thing even when the monster was half-flaccid.

He gave up when the cock got too big, taking his mouth off and just jacking it off with his hands, mouth sore and wet with his own saliva and pre.

Doflamingo seemed to find it funny, watching him with a smirk creasing his lips, no real reaction on his face to show he was getting a blowjob, and Usopp hated him for making him feel incompetent when being forced to give the man sexual pleasure.

Usopp felt a hand on the back of his head, the thick fingers wrapping tightly in his hair as he was dragged closer, his knees scraping against the ground roughly.

"Come on 'God Usopp,' I know you can do better."

Then there were fingers invading his mouth, pushing against his tongue and dragging the organ out. His head was pushed back onto Doflamingo, his mouth and jaw stretching painfully as he was forced to take more of it down his throat.

He couldn't breath, his vision clouding with black spots as his airway was cut off.

He raised his hands to push back, but Doflamingo didn't let go, holding him down as he fucked up into Usopp's throat, the sniper struggling as tears poured down his cheeks, his knees scratching up on the concrete roof and irritating the wounds he already had there.

Just when he thought he was going to pass out, a hot stream filled his mouth and Usopp felt like he was drowning.

"Don't swallow it," his hair was yanked back harshly so he looked up into Doflamingo's face. "Don't spit it out yet."

The taller man dragged him closer, his other hand gripping Usopp's jaw, palm rubbing against his goatee, as the sniper's face scrunched in disgust.

"Open."

Usopp did so reluctantly, Doflamingo half forcing him open with his fingers. The man's fingers pressed deeper, scraping cum off the sniper's tongue and holding his hand up to see the stickiness.

"Turn around."

Usopp didn't do anything at first, still dazed and trying to catch his breath, but Doflamingo's rough hand pushing one of his shoulders hard enough to nearly toss the Straw Hat on the ground was enough incentive to get him to show the older man his back.

"Lean down." The words were spoken directly into his ear and Usopp shuddered in revulsion, looking behind him with fearful eyes as his mouth opened to disagree.

"We can stop whenever you want." That smile was back on his face, the one that sent a chill deep into Usopp's very bones, and the sniper turned back around, slowly leaning down onto his hands and knees.

Usopp gave an alarmed shout as his shoulder was shoved down and his hips pulled closer, bloodied knees scraping even more, the darker man hissing in pain.

The cold, wet press of Doflamingo's cum being smeared across his ass made the sniper freeze, his panting the loudest thing on the roof.

His shoulders pressed against the ground, the cuts and scrapes burning but not any more than the slide of a too-larger finger inside of him that had his hands clawing at the concrete beneath him.

He buried his head into the crook of his arm, his teeth gritting to bear the pain as another finger entered him.

When the third came too soon, he couldn't hold back the strangled schriek, his teeth finding his arm and clenching down on it.

His vision was going black again, his lungs refusing to take in air and just as suddenly as the fourth finger had appeared, Usopp's eyes rolling back into his head, all the fingers were gone.

Usopp panted harshly, the air running along his dry throat like sand. He came down for the pain, opening his eyes to see Law, the man's eyes wide and face shock white, the pool of blood around him growing larger and Usopp felt an overwhelming fear that the man had bled out and died. Law blinked sluggishly and Usopp gave a sigh of relief that was cut off when his arm was grabbed and he was turned around on his back.

"Want to stop?" Doflamingo smiled down at him, crawling over the prone man's body. "Anytime you want, just say the word."

Usopp wanted to kill the man.

He searched his memory to find any incident in which he felt such an all-consuming hatred for someone as much as he did Doflamingo.

He found none that could rival the man hovering above him.

"Go on." His voice sounded hoarse but Usopp didn't bother to care.

Doflamingo grinned back with all teeth, grabbing Usopp's legs and pushing them up so he could line himself.

Despite his words, Usopp was beyond terrified. He could feel his mind try to disconnect, could feel his body trying to shut down, and the worst hadn't even happened yet.

He braced himself against the ground, broken nails digging into the concrete.

Usopp didn't hold back his scream.

He couldn't.

Doflamingo's smile was pressed against his neck, his amusement falling off him in waves as he tore Usopp apart. Usopp didn't even realize his arms were being held down until they gave a creak as his bones were ground together.

"Alright?"

If Usopp could, he would have spat in the man's face. Instead, he shrieked again, bile rising up his throat and cutting him off as he turned his head to the side and vomited.

"Move your hips more. Here, hold on to me."

Law was having trouble breathing.

The panic from the lead bullets was fading only to be replaced by agony and loathing.

He really hadn't expected the Straw Hat pirate to call out to Doflamingo. From what little he knew about the black man, he appeared to just be a cowardly liar who was pretty good at sniping.

Yet here they all were, Usopp giving himself up to Doflamingo to save Law's skin.

Law didn't think it was possible for him to hate Doflamingo more than he already did, yet the man seemed to enjoy pushing him to his limit, because the hot rage was burning brighter than it had for years.

This type of rape, the kind that made the victim an unwilling active participant with the option to "choose" between the pseudo-sex and death was...beyond horrifying.

It reminded Law too much of his overly eager younger self. The boy that hated the world yet climbed to any affection or attention the Donquixote pirate deemed him worthy of.

But that was a different time, a different place.

In the then and there, the Straw Hat pirate sat dazed in Doflamingo's lap, his arms wrapped loosely around the man's neck as he was coaxed into riding the older man.

Doflamingo held his pistol ready in one hand, two warning shots already used to give the younger man incentive to continue or to move more, Law wasn't really sure.

Just as it had began, everything stopped abruptly.

The Donquixote suddenly stilled, his head tilted towards the hole in the roof before he pushed Usopp off him, standing up and fixing his clothes.

Usopp didn't move from his position, and Law watched as his eyes fluttered before closing, the stuttering rise and fall of his chest the only indicator to the captain that the other man had probably just passed out.

Law's vision was going blurry, but he had enough sense to see the pistol raise and point at his face.

He hoped Usopp didn't wake up.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a lot of cheering on the ship as they sailed safely away from the marines.

Law, personally, felt like a part of himself had been cut off.

A tumor-like appendage that sucked away his life and was killing him slowly, yes, but a part of him all the same.

A weight had been lifted but Law had lived with it for so long that the weightlessness felt foreign and strange. The ease in which he was able to breath felt like he was choking and the decreased pressure made him more aware of just how much he had centered his life around defeating his enemies.

As a boy, it had been him against the world. As a teenager, it had changed to him against the Donquixote Family.

But they were no more.

What even was he now?

An avenger with no target, a man with no purpose.

He had expected to die.

He had never really considered the possibility that he would survive, that he would have to continue moving onwards with his life.

What was he supposed to do now?

Almost unconsciously, his eyes found Luffy.

The man was the center of attention, the crowd around him overwhelming to even look at for Law, yet the younger man seemed to thrive in it. Laughter rang out, rising over the sounds of excited, merry chatter and cups clinking against each other.

His gaze feel to a specific smile.

Usopp sat next to his captain, absolutely beaming up at the man.

Law had to swallow down the feelings that surged through him as he remembered the look on his face when their eyes had met days before. Or was it hours? Maybe weeks.

Law wasn't sure anymore.

It felt like it had just happened yet it also felt like it was a memory from years ago.

The utter fear and desperation and hatred and worry reflected in the black man's face at that time had stilled his breath more than his missing arm had.

The raw emotion, the incomprehensible self-sacrifice.

Law was a word beyond confused.

He was confused and sick and tired and he wanted answers as to why.

Usopp should have just let Law die.

Just sat quietly as Doflamingo shot him to death and let the monster of a man forget about him, let him slink away to destroy another life that wasn't Usopp's own.

Law knew Doflamingo's cruelty all to well, had felt the brunt of it before. Seen it enacted against so many others.

He even knew the cruelty of being easily tossed away. Of wanting to be abused again just so he would look at you again, wondering and fearing that you had done something wrong for him to touch and look at you like you were the world one second then barely give you a passing glance the next.

The cup in Law's hand shattered, the shards digging into his palms, but Law couldn't find it in himself to care when those thoughts, those memories were racing around in his head.

"Law?! Are you okay?" Luffy was there suddenly, small hands taking his and Law couldn't for the life of him understand how the man in front of him was so strong yet so innocent.

"I'm fine." Law could detect the affection in his voice. An affection that fouled and spoiled in his veins as the embodiment of the sun looked up at him with worry. "It's still not working completely."

Luffy looked at Law's reattached arm, sharp gaze meeting his and Law feared he would push, but the other captain just smiled and waved him off to the clinic to patch up, turning back to the party with a final look over his shoulder.

Law couldn't help sighing in relief.

The ship's clinic felt comforting and familiar, even with the myriad of framed photos of both Luffy and Chopper hanging around the room.

He took his time taking the shards out his hand and disinfecting the wound, letting his training lull him.

He didn't even hear the door open, but he did hear it close.

Looking up, his eyes caught the Straw Hat sniper and he couldn't help flinching away.

The other man leaned against the door, his eyes focusing on a corner as he scratched his goatee.

"I, ugh, was wondering if you had time to talk."

"I would prefer not to."

Law felt bad as soon as he said it when Usopp's face paled, his eyes shifting uncomfortably towards the corners of the room.

"I'm sorry." The words slipped out of his lips and he forced his mouth into a smile, knowing it looked grim, but supposing it was better than nothing.

He thought better of it when Usopp's skin took a green tinge, remembering Doflamingo's ever present grin, his own face losing color at the thought.

He cleared his throat, nodding at the other man.

"Go ahead."

Usopp shifted uncomfortably, his arms wrapping around himself as he licked his lips.

"So, do you mind...not telling Luffy about what happened?"

Law was floored for a moment, blinking blankly at the other man before his eyebrows rose.

"I think he knows."

No matter how innocent the captain was, no matter how much sunshine he was made out of, he could not have not connected the dots.

He had seen the state Usopp had been in. He had stared at the other man, face darkening further, teeth baring and anger boiling as he barreled towards Doflamingo.

Law had barely stopped him after the other captain had been tossed over towards his body, the Straw Hat beyond fury at seeing his nakama in such a state.

For the second time that conversation, Law regretted his words. Usopp's face was creased with pain, his eyes closed as if he could hide from the truth if he delved inside himself.

"I-" Usopp cut himself off, his voice thick and rough. He coughed, clearing his throat forcefully before trying again. "I, uh, told him that my clothes had flown off in my awesome battle with...with that man."

Usopp rubbed his arms, his teeth biting at his inner cheeks.

Law stared at him. His gaze unrelenting before he flickered his eyes away, nodding at the other man.

"Okay. If he asks me, I'll tell him about your...wild battle."

Usopp threw a grim smile at him, shuffling in place.

"Was there something else?"

The question seemed to startle him as the black man jumped, starting to stammer a reply before pausing to take a deep breath.

"Um, so, Chopper healed most of my wounds but…" the sniper trailed off, leaving the white-splotched man to stare uncomprehendingly at him with furrowed brows. "I tried to patch myself up, but I...I don't think I did a good job. It still...hurts, you know?"

Law blinked. Comprehension filling his eyes as he looked over the other man.

"You didn't get him to heal you down there?"

Usopp shook his head, refusing to look at the other man.

"I don't want anyone to know."

Even you.

The sentiment hung in the air, unsaid but understood.

Law nodded in reply, pulling the bandage on his hand tighter.

"I'll look at it for you."

"Thanks."

The sniper's voice was small then, but Law had a difficult time forgetting the sound of his screams as it echoed in his head.

Law didn't think he could forget. No matter how much Usopp wanted him to.

Law didn't necessarily avoid Usopp for the rest of the boat ride to Zou.

He certainly didn't hide from him, nor escape when they appeared in the same space, but he didn't see him often at all.

The few times he caught a glimpse at the darker man, he was next to the Straw Hat swordsman, chatting with him in what appeared to Law as a one-sided conversation or with the cyborg shipwright, the two amicably and excitedly discussing new ideas.

Most often, though, he was next to his captain. The loud man able to fill any space with cheerfulness, and Law guessed it was familiar and safe to Usopp, as he appeared to take every opportunity to stick by his captain's side without raising suspicion.

Or perhaps Law was being paranoid, pushing his own reason for avoiding the tiny captain onto why Usopp would crave his presence.

Who knew.

He did see him alone three more times in the dead of night to help with the more personal wounds Doflamingo had inflicted on the younger man. The two quiet and the air strained with the shared secret.

On the last visit before Zou, Usopp had turned to look Law in the eyes. An emotion there that Law couldn't describe but which gripped his heart like an iron band.

"Will you tell me what he did to you?"

Law wasn't surprised at the question, though perhaps he should have been.

It felt almost relieving to be able to not only share his childhood with someone but to also give a part of himself to Usopp when he was already forced to carry the other's hidden face against both of their wills.

The words flowed easily. They started with Law's basic past - the caring parents and cute sister, the children he considered friends, the church and the Sister, the dream of becoming like his mother and father, the city's prosperity, the lead, the soldiers, the fire, the fear.

The hatred.

He spoke of his entrance into the Donquixote Family. He spoke of Rocinante and Baby 5 and Buffalo and, worst of all, Doflamingo.

He spoke of the man's soft words at night, his hands that he had promised were a secret between them, the feel of his lips against Law's skin.

And Usopp listened carefully and intently.

His face didn't change from that first look, the one that grabbed Law by the throat, and Law couldn't help but feel his chest lightening as he was neither pitied nor turned away from.

After the words had stopped, run dry as there was no more to tell, Usopp had nodded and left. He hadn't come back to the clinic, hadn't sought Law out, didn't catch his eye over dinner.

But he didn't avoid him.

Law could feel that iron band shift, sliding into a chain that bound the two together, yet felt weightless in the air around them.

He should have felt troubled that he felt the connection between them deepen despite how little they interacted.

But he didn't.

He couldn't.

It was on the ship to Wano that something more happened.

Usopp had stuck to the two crewmates he usually crowded towards, but with no shining sun, Usopp had drifted to wandering around the ship as if searching for something that could replace Luffy's brightness.

Law knew he would find nothing to compare.

But then again, he guessed that Usopp would know that better than he would.

The sniper ended up investigating the rooms Law occupied often, always finding something new to introspect over. Law at first had been confused as to how, but he was quick to learn that the darker man was absolutely overflowing with creativity. Law had stumbled on Usopp talking to Zoro's half-sleeping form, his stories about his ship investigations so outrageous and stunning that Law feared that the man was delusional.

He later learned it was a coping mechanism. Tall-tales and lies allowing the sniper to hide from the truth of the matter.

Law supposed that was similar to being delusional though.

It took awhile before Usopp's stories were directed at Law's ears.

The event sparking a new tide to their relationship.

For so long their presences toward each other was based on the cold, hard reality of shared pain. The air between them frigid like the winter ice creeping up the side of a ship to hold it in place, disallowing movement forward.

Slowly, Usopp's silver tongue chipped away at the ice.

"I actually was able to defeat Blackbeard's entire army in one day. The reason they still are around is because they are clones created by the World Government to instill fear into the hearts of pirates and citizens alike."

Law pretended to read a book as Usopp's words flowed through him. They were oddly calming and unquestionably entertaining, the spotted man lulled by the other's exaggerations and outright lies that bordered on conspiracy theories.

"Interesting." Law hummed in reply.

There was a silence in the air, one made of quiet contemplations. Law looked up from the book, watching Usopp as the man gazed off into the distance, face more relaxed than Law could ever remember seeing it.

"I like this." The words were spoken so softly that Law hardly realized Usopp had spoken them, the tone so very different from his excited tales from earlier. Usopp looked away from whatever place his mind had settled in, looking at Law like he was the only person in the world.

Law couldn't help swallowing nervously.

"Me too."

Law wasn't sure when it happened, but at some point, when ever he looked at Usopp, he no could longer see Doflamingo's mark.

He knew it was there, he knew the other still woke in the middle of the night in terror, afraid that man had returned, he knew Usopp still took comfort from clinging to his nakama, but Law no longer saw the flashes of panic on his face that the Heart Pirate associated with that incident.

Law also wasn't sure when he started to favor the other's company.

Reasonably, Zoro or Robin were more Law's style. Quiet and calm, easy for the eternally tired man to handle, but Usopp...Usopp gripped him on a level that made his head spin.

Perhaps it was the fact that they knew each other's trauma, or perhaps because the darker man was just so amusing, Law just couldn't pinpoint it.

But when Usopp had taken his hand one day, his mouth moving in a steady stream about something or another and his other hand flapping and twisting in line with his words, Law had squeezed his hand back.

Law didn't know when he no longer felt like a part of himself was missing. Didn't know when he stopped seeing himself as a used up presence.

He did know when he finally felt whole, though.


End file.
